A Case of Mistaken Identity
by TabbyCat33098
Summary: Draco meets a gorgeous stranger while studying at the campus library, and at that moment, his life is turned upside down. Could this stranger teach Draco to trust again? SLASH, non-magic AU, slight OOC, ANGST -other warnings to come as I find a plot- -ON HIATUS, but not abandoned. Details on my profile-
1. Chapter 1

A/N v.2: Nothing escapes the Purge! Well, almost nothing.

This was posted on a whim, when my mind was tired and on drugs. I will probably kill myself for this later. I have no clear idea where this is going, how long it'll be, _nothing_ other than "Drarry, long, romance, drama." But here's to hoping this'll renew my spontaneity. It's based off of a really good LxLight fic I remember reading, where L was an author and Light was a college student, I think. I just can't remember the name. So if anyone knows what it is, I'll be sure to give the author credit. However, this will go in a different direction. It's also inspired by DarkAuroran's KakaIru fic, Stranger Situations.

Giftfics should be coming out soon, hopefully around mid-July. I have a couple written or in the process of being written, but summer school is holding me hostage, so I apologize for the delay.

Reviews are loved, as always, and even more so as this is ongoing. Feed me? But otherwise, have fun reading A Case of Mistaken Identity!

**DISCLAIMER: It disclaims. 'Nuff said.**

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**A Case of Mistaken Identit****y**

Draco looked up briefly when he heard a shrill shriek resound through the library, but seeing that it had nothing to do with him, he promptly ignored it and returned to his work. At least, until a rugged brunette man came running up the stairs and careened around the corner where his worktable was located.

"You!" the brunette gasped as Draco stared. "Do you know who I am?"

"No," Draco said slowly. "Should I?"

"Probably, yes, but thank God you don't," the brunette said. "Hide me, quick!"

"Why should I?" Draco asked, wanting nothing more than to get back to his work.

"Because I'm begging you to?" the brunette said desperately. He glanced behind his shoulder. Both men winced as another shriek resounded through the library, this time echoed by an even higher-pitched one. "Please! I'll owe you big time!"

Well, having others in your debt was always good. Draco sighed. "Get under the table," he said in a bored voice.

"Thanks a million!" the brunette said before fairly diving underneath the table. Draco arranged his legs so that he at least partially hid the other man, and turned back to his papers

Hardly five seconds later, two blonde girls came running up the stairs as well. They looked around for a second before spotting Draco and quickly ran up to him. "Excuse me, mister, but have you seen Harry Potter come through here lately?" the shorter one asked.

"Who?" Draco asked, confused.

The girls gaped at him. "Harry Potter! Only _the_ most gorgeous man on campus!" the taller one exclaimed. Expressions of disbelief were evident on both their faces.

Draco just looked back to his work in annoyance. "You're wasting my time," he said. "Either tell me who you're looking for or go away."

He sensed the frowns the girls gave him, but they wisely dropped it. "Um, about my height, brown hair, beautiful eyes, such amazing muscles, and a smile to _die_ for," the taller girl said. Both girls sighed dreamily.

"Oh, him," Draco said, feigning remembrance. "I think he went that way." Without looking up, he pointed around a corner. The two girls were gone in a flash.

The other man tried to get up then, but Draco pushed him back down. "Not yet," he hissed. _Five…four…three…two…one…_ There was an angry growl, and then both girls were back in front of him. "He went running down the stairs a second after you left," Draco said without waiting to be asked. He listened as the footsteps receded, then moved his legs away from the other man.

The other man slowly crawled out from underneath the desk and stood up. He stretched his back to relieve the cramped muscles, and Draco took the moment to look him over. The girls had been right. The man was absolutely flawless! His eyes were a piercing green, his nose was straight and narrow, his cheekbones were just prominent enough to be noticeable but not enough to detract from the overall image, and his hair looked like he had just been shagged.

As Draco's eyes roamed downwards, he realized that the man's body was just as amazing as the man's face. His muscles were clearly defined and showed easily through the tight clothing he wore. Though Draco couldn't see it, he was sure the other man's arse was as firm as the rest of him. Bronzed skin just served to complete the image, and Draco was barely able to tear his gaze away from the god standing in front of him.

As he looked back into the eyes of the other man, he forced back a blush as he encountered a seductive smirk and half-lidded eyes that told him they had noticed his wayward glances. "See something you like?" the brunette asked in a low voice. At Draco's obvious discomfort, the brunette laughed, and the sultry aura disappeared. "Harry Potter," he introduced himself, and stuck out his hand.

"Draco Malfoy," Draco responded warily, still reeling slightly from how much the handsome man affected him. He took a hold of the tan hand and shook it once, before withdrawing his hand into his lap again.

Harry chuckled and raked a hand through his hair almost absently, as if it was a habit. Without conscious thought, Draco filed it away. "I seem to owe you a favor. Anything you want?" Harry asked with a smile.

Draco's stomach chose that moment to gurgle softly. "How about lunch?" he asked, already packing up his things.

"Sounds great," Harry responded, still smiling. "How about that new Italian place down on Chestnut Avenue? I'll drive."

"That's fine," Draco said. For some reason he couldn't fathom, he found himself smiling back.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N v.2: Purging.

This chapter was terrible to write until I deleted most of it and started again from scratch, lol. I'm developing the plot, and I have a few things worke dout, but I'll figure it out within the net couple chapters, promise. And no matter what, I will not abandon this. I will write it out to the end! Rating is up to K+ for language and other things. And kudos to those who caught the YGOTAS reference first chapter. XD

Reviews, as always, are welcomed. I reply to everyone except anons without accounts on FFN, and anons who have accounts but don't tell me the name of their account. But without further ado, enjoy the next chapter of A Case of Mistaken Identity! :)

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**Chapter 2**

The drive to the restaurant was an awkward one, as neither male knew how to strike up a conversation. But luckily, they arrived at the restaurant within ten minutes, and the warm atmosphere dispelled the tension between them.

"'The most gorgeous man on campus'?" Draco asked after they had placed their orders. "How did that happen?"

Harry ducked his head to hide the blush forming on his cheeks. "I don't know, to tell the truth. I heard the whispers, but I didn't really pay attention, and before I knew it, I had a reputation that I never tried to make. To be honest, it's a little annoying, and I hate it."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Oh yes, heaven forbid you have half the girls on campus vying for your attention. That couldn't possibly be absolutely wonderful." He tried to keep the jealousy out of his voice, nut he knew a bit of it had seeped through. Absently, he wondered who this man was who could pry open the door to the cage where Draco had confined his emotions so many years ago.

Harry blushed. "I know, I should be twice dead of happiness. But none of them want me for me. All they want is a night of passion with the great Harry Potter so they can have bragging rights afterwards. But no one wants to get to know who I am. I hate it." Sincerity shone in those jade eyes. "Besides, I'm not really interested in girls," he added, almost as an afterthought. His blush grew more pronounced, but he refused to look away.

That was it. For some reason, that frank honesty had wormed past all of Draco's defenses. When had Draco last met such an honest person? He couldn't remember. His entire life had been full of lies and deceit, and he had been trained since birth in the art of manipulation. It had gotten to the point where it was all he knew. He had never encountered such an honest person before, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

"You're gay?" he asked to hide his internal turmoil. "Not that there's anything wrong with it, of course."

Harry nodded. "But even if you did have a problem, I would've told you to take your opinions and shove them up your ass. I'm proud of who I am, and a few haters won't change that," he said heatedly. He raked a hand through his hair almost angrily, and Draco noticed something he hadn't seen before.

"That scar," he said curiously. He reached a hand out to touch the lightning-bolt shaped scar on Harry's forehead, but pulled it back when he noticed Harry's almost-imperceptible flinch. "It's shaped funny. How did you get it?"

Harry looked away. "That is a long and complicated story I'd rather not tell," he said quietly, shocking Draco with the abrupt change of attitude.

Draco inclined his head in understanding. "We all have secrets," he responded just as softly, thinking about his own left forearm. A stupid mistake, burned forever into his flesh. The two men fell into an awkward silence, both caught up in painful memories.

Thankfully, the waitress chose that moment to arrive with their food. Draco just barely managed to restrain himself from digging in eagerly. Even though he hadn't had breakfast and he was starving, years of ingrained training overcame his body's basic desire. He had waited half a day, he could wait a few minutes more.

"So tell me more about yourself," Harry said after they had both taken the edge off their hunger.

Draco stared at him for a second. Nobody had ever asked him that before. Well, in all fairness, no one had really talked to him before, so it was a moot point either way. But the question was still a surprise. And it raised a plethora of other questions as well. What could he tell the other man without revealing too much? How much detail should he go into? Which details could he afford to reveal? "I'm Draco Malfoy," he began slowly, trying to gather his thoughts. "I'm 21 years old and studying to be a lawyer. I like green apples and I hate sweets, and I'm a highly independent person." That was enough to satisfy's the brunette's curiosity without compromising Draco's feeling of security, Draco decided.

If Harry was surprised at the lack of information, he didn't show it. "Harry Potter, 21 years old as well, studying to become a cop," he said in response. "I like reading and running, and I hate people who pretend to be something they're not."

Draco swallowed a wry chuckle. It was a good thing they wouldn't be meeting again after this chance encounter. Somehow, Draco doubted Harry would like him very much if he truly got to know him.

"By the way, why are you wearing a long-sleeved shirt in such warm weather?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco froze mid-bite. Should he lie and say the library was cold? Should he tell the truth and relive memories that he had long ago buried away? Should he evade the question entirely? He knew his eyes had become unfocused as the memories crashed over him unbidden, despite his attempts to force them back. The sounds, the feelings, the _death_. "To hide a mistake," he finally offered, and somehow, he knew Harry understood.

They finished the rest of their lunch in silence.

When Harry drove them both back to campus, Draco asked to just be dropped off outside his dorm. He was surprised when Harry got out of the car and walked beside him, chatting amiably all the way, but he hid it well. Finally, though, they reached Draco's door.

"I suppose I'll see you around, then?" Draco asked politely. He didn't really want the brunette to leave, but he couldn't think of a reason for him to stay.

"Yeah," Harry said absently as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Immediate, Draco filed the small detail away, as he had done with every detail provided to him over the course of the lunch. "You know, this was almost like a date," Harry finally said. "I kind of wish it had been one."

Draco couldn't hold back a self-deprecating snort. "A date? With me? You don't have to lie, Harry, you're not helping anyone. We both know you don't really mean that."

Harry stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean? You're one of the most interesting people I've ever met! You're one of the few people who've looked past my supposedly good looks to see who I am underneath. I haven't had such a meaningful conversation in ages! You're genuinely interesting."

Draco smiled, but it was humorless. "Don't tell me you haven't heard the rumors. Draco Malfoy, the Ice Prince, the heartless bastard with a perpetual stick up his ass. As cold-blooded as a snake, he's got the emotional range of a rock, and the facial expressions to match. He was probably carved out of stone, given how unmoving he is. Who wants to kiss Draco Malfoy? His lips are probably as cold as ice." The insults rolled off Draco's tongue easily. He had gotten used to them after a while, and it became easier to ignore them. But they still stung, he couldn't deny that. "Trust me, Harry, you don't want to date me, if only for the ridicule you would get for associating with me. Do us both a favor and leave before it hurts you too much."

But Harry looked horrified. "That's terrible!" he exclaimed "Those rumors have no credibility! If they only got to know the real you, they'd change their opinions in an instant."

Draco turned away to unlock his door. "No one knows the real me, Harry," he said emotionlessly. In a much quieter voice, he added, "Not even me." With a soft click, his door swung open. "I'll see you around, Harry," he said in farewell.

"Wait, Draco," Harry said. Something in his voice made Draco turned around, and he took half a step back as he realizes the brunette was much closer than he had been before. One of Harry's hands came up to cup Draco's cheek. "For the record, you have the most kissable lips I've ever seen," Harry said quietly. He leaned forward slowly, giving Draco ample time to pull away. But Draco remained frozen and wide-eyed, unable to respond.

Then Harry's lips covered his own, and he couldn't help but press back into that delicious friction. He ran his tongue along Harry's bottom lip, silently begging for entrance, and Harry willingly gave it to him. Their tongues engaged in a short battle for dominance which Harry easily won, and Draco found he didn't mind giving up control. He vaguely registered being pressed up against the wall, but he quickly forgot about it as a haze of pleasure settled over his mind.

Seconds after Harry's lips had latched onto Draco's, though, they moved off and ghosted up his jaw to his ear. "Definitely not cold as ice," Harry murmured, and Draco shivered involuntarily.

Then that amazing warmth disappeared, and Draco absently raised a hand to his lips as he finally relocated Harry walking towards the staircase. As Harry disappeared, Draco was left wondering, what the hell had just happened?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N v.2: And this is the last fic that requires Purging. Next Purge shall happen around the winter holiday season.

The 3rd Chapter is a concept that hates me. Every "Chapter 3" I write, for any story, requires several rewrites. This chapter is a 4th draft. It's annoying, but I guess it's fine, since it works. Also... I have found a plot! I sat down and talked with my friend Des while I was writing the second draft of this chapter, and between the two of us, I managed to figure out where the fic is gonna go. Lastly, I thought I'd point out that my guys live in a country called Briterica, where things happen in the American way, but they use British words and speak in British accents. I like the country of Briterica. :P

Rating has gone up to T for more stuff happening this chapter, language, and [apparently] sexual innuendos. Not quite sure how that last bit happened, really.

Tbh, I'm a little disappointed at the turnout for reviews. My first fic did better than this! However, I won't hold chapters hostage for reviews. Although reviews may motivate me indirectly, the speed of my updates will not directly coincide with how many reviews I get. Chapters will come when they come.

Other than that, there's not much else I can think of, so I hope you enjoy. :)

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**Chapter 3**

As the days passed with no sign of Harry, Draco was able to convince himself that the kiss had simply been a fluke. Because Harry had known they would never meet again, and that there would be no repercussions, Harry had taken the moment to tease Draco with a glimpse of something that he could never have. All that attention must have gone to his head, that bastard. But Draco refused to let Harry win. Slowly but surely, his life began to return to normal.

Of course, Draco didn't seem to do _normal_. Not when he was young and foolish, and not now that he was older and more experienced. He had almost come to expect it, but how could one expect the unexpected? Nevertheless, every time his life took another turn for the unpleasant, he would stoically brave it through. So when, four months after what he had termed "The Incident," he heard a knock on his door and opened it to find Harry at his doorstep, he simply sighed and accepted that he really must have pissed off the gods in a previous life.

"Yes?" he asked in a bored voice, wanting nothing more than to go back inside and relax.

"Can I hide out here tonight?" Harry asked, furtively glancing over his shoulders. "There's a mob of fangirls after me again, and all my friends are busy."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "_All_ of them?" he asked skeptically. "I doubt it. Either you are lying through your teeth, or you must have a pathetically low amount of friends."

Harry looked sheepish, and glanced around again. "Not all of them are busy," he conceded. "But I've hidden out at their places too often for the fangirls not to find me. They'll never think to look here, which is why I'm here and they're not."

Draco sighed again and moved away from the door, walking into his kitchen. "Lock the door behind you," he called as he pulled out a few Cokes. He tossed one to Harry as the brunette appeared in the doorway. He passed by Harry and made his way to the couch, where he curled up comfortably, opened his soda, and took a long drink from it. He closed his eyes as he felt the couch dip under Harry's weight, and focused all his efforts into pretending Harry didn't exist.

"Bad day?" Harry asked sympathetically, shattering Draco's concentration.

"And getting worse," Draco muttered irritably. "Why me?" he asked suddenly, wanting to just get the elephant out of the room—or make it bigger and fatter, depending on how the circumstances changed. "You could have anyone you wanted. Why did you kiss me?"

Harry deliberated for a long moment, and Draco wasn't sure whether he would even answer. "You intrigue me," Harry finally said, and Draco opened his eyes to pay attention. "You're…I don't know. I guess you're _real_." Draco scoffed quietly, but let Harry continue. "You don't care about my reputation. You want to know who I really am, and I rarely meet someone like that. I mean, I only talked to you for an hour, but it was one of the most interesting conversations I'd had in a while. You make me want to know more about you. I can't really describe it, but you draw me in." He shrugged. "Also, I may have wanted to prove a point," Harry added, grinning sheepishly. "All those rumors you were telling me, they're all lies, and I could see that. But you can't, I could see that in your eyes. You really believed them, and I don't think anybody deserves to feel such hurt."

Draco nodded and closed his eyes again, and took another drink from his Coke. But his eyes snapped open as Harry said, "If you'd like, I could give you a massage."

Draco's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?" he asked, instantly on guard. Why was Harry being so kind to him? The tanned man was shattering everything Draco had grown up to believe by being so _different_ from anything Draco had seen, and it scared him a little. How was he supposed to deal with such kindness, something he had rarely been shown before? It had to be an act; that was the only logical explanation.

So why didn't he believe that?

"Consider it as me paying off my debt," Harry said. "You're letting me stay at your house and risking a mob of fangirls trying to beat down your door. The least I can do is ease your stress."

Draco relaxed as Harry answered. This was something he could understand. This basic kindness was nothing more than a way to reciprocate Draco's own kindness. But then he thought of something and tensed again. "Do you want me to take off my shirt?" he asked warily, his arms involuntarily coming in front of his stomach in a defensive position. He knew by the sudden surprise in Harry's eyes that his movements had not gone unnoticed.

"Not if you don't want to," Harry said in a voice meant to soothe. "Just lie down on the couch and relax, and I'll handle the rest."

Draco's gaze stayed locked with Harry's for a moment longer, but eventually, he put down his drink and moved to lie down on the couch. "I…appreciate this," he said stiffly once he was fully settled. _Thank you._

Harry chuckled as he started to work on Draco's shoulders. "Don't even mention it, Draco."

Draco made a noise of assent, and for possibly the first time in his life, he let himself completely relax. It was a marvelous feeling, and he wondered why he had never done this before. _Because you've never felt this safe before_, a snide voice reminded him, and Draco shuddered as he mentally voiced his agreement.

Draco's thoughts turned to Harry. Who was this man who continuously shredded through Draco's defenses like they were only so many pieces of paper? This shouldn't have been possible, Draco was sure of that. After the last time such a thing had happened, Draco had made sure to make his mental and psychological defenses stronger than ever before. He never wanted a repeat of that time, those years that were possibly the worst of his short life.

_Screams fill the air, but he doesn't notice them. They don't register in his mind as he throws punch after punch after punch, each hit connecting with solid flesh. A feral grin splits his face as his mates feed him encouragement, and he continues, harder and harder and harder._

_It's not until he is resting in his room when the monstrosity of what he has done crashes over him. He gazes in horror at his knuckles, as if he can almost see the blood on them still. "What have I done?" he murmurs quietly, but it seems like a shout as it echoes in his large, empty room._

_But what's done is done, and there is no backing out now._

Draco let out a small whimper as the memory came, unbidden. But almost as if Harry knew what Draco was thinking, his large, warm hands deviated from their pattern to rub soothing patterns in Draco's back, and Draco quickly drove away the memories that he had kept locked away for so many years.

There it was again, that natural ease with which Harry loosened all of Draco's inhibitions. The man was like alcohol, staving off all of Draco's fears and prying out all of Draco's secrets. Why was Draco so affected by this man? Why did Harry have such a profound effect on him? Questions swirled around in his mind as Harry continued to work on his back. And then, soon enough, even those thoughts left his mind as the feeling of _it's okay you're safe you're alright nothing can harm you_ washed over him. The room was silent for a while, broken only occasionally by Draco's quiet moans of pleasure.

Soon, though, Draco felt sleep start to steal over him. "Harry," he murmured, trying to catch the brunette's attention. "'M tired."

Harry laughed and easily picked Draco up bridal style, depositing him in his bed a second later. "Harry, c'mere," Draco said, and Harry leaned towards him, a small smile still adorning his face."I liked it," Draco confessed. "The kiss. I liked it." He knew sincerity was shining in his eyes, and somewhere in the back of his mind, that same snide voice was berating him for showing any sign of weakness to another person. But he couldn't care less. Gaze still locked with Harry's, Draco leaned forward and captured the brunette's lips in a kiss.

There were no pleasantries this time. As soon as their lips connected, Draco pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth. Like their first kiss, they battled for dominance, but unlike that time, Draco won. He wasted no time exploring Harry's mouth, and almost drank in the taste that was Coke and happiness and somehow _Harry_. But then Harry's tongue pushed Draco's out of his mouth, and instead pushed past Draco's lips into the blonde's mouth. The brunette hesitated for a second before becoming bolder and exploring Draco's mouth. Draco succumbed to the pleasure, unable to think past the fog once more settling over his mind.

They broke apart a minute later, both panting heavily. Draco looked at Harry for a moment, memorizing that flushed look of happiness on the brunette's face before his eyes closed. "Does that mean you like me?" Draco heard Harry say cockily. Draco smiled.

"I like you," he mumbled sleepily, fighting to hold off sleep for just a second longer. "But I don't know if I want to." And then he was falling into the darkness, a small smile gracing his face as he completely missed Harry's look of surprise.


End file.
